They’re closely followed by the marginally less reactive group two metals. Group 1 metals, the most reactive metals in the periodic table, head up the rankings. The reactivity series offers a ranking of the metals in order of their reactivity. Caesium, the most reactive metal in the periodic table, reacts extremely violently – hence why it can’t be demonstrated in a classroom! This can be compared to other common metals, such as iron and copper, which produce no reaction when dropped into water. Lithium fizzes gently, sodium fizzes vigorously, and potassium’s reaction is so energetic it bursts into a lilac flame as it zips across the water’s surface. In this demonstration, small pieces of three different metals from group 1 of the periodic table are dropped into a large bowl of water. Metals have a range of reactivities – to illustrate this, you have to look no further than the classic alkali metals in water demonstration commonly used in chemistry classes. This graphic places a selection of common metals into order of reactivity, as well as showing their reactions with air, water and steam. It’s also a useful tool in predicting the products of simple displacement reactions involving two different metals, as well as providing an insight into why different metals are extracted from their ores in different manners.
The metal reactivity series is a commonly taught concept in chemistry, placing the metals, as its name suggests, in order of reactivity from most reactive to least reactive.